Kiss Me, Kate
by SilentG
Summary: One year after the Christmas party that shook Goren to the core, Eames is back, with a ring on her finger. This is a kind of coda for a Xmas fic, 'Finding Wonderful', that hasn't been posted yet. Minor spoilers for that fic. B/A post-Loyalty WAFF.


**Author:** SilentG  
**Title:** Kiss Me, Kate  
**Fandom:** LO:CI  
**Pairing:** B/A  
**Rating:** K+  
**Spoilers:** Not really.  
**Archive:** Anywhere – no need to ask – just attribute, and let me know if possible  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine  
**Summary:** One year after the Christmas party that shook Goren to the core, Eames is back, with a ring on her finger. 

**A/N 1:** This is actually a coda to a fic called _Finding Wonderful_ that hasn't been posted yet. :D _Finding Wonderful_ will be up on or around Christmas Day. No real spoilers for that fic, but a few hints that might get you wondering. The title has a triple meaning… Christmas cookies to anyone who guesses all of them.

~.~.~.~.~

Both Bobby and Jimmy Deakins have been watching her all evening; and they aren't alone. She looks young, vivacious. Her gown is demure but somehow very sexy, her lips and cheeks are plump, she's sparkly. Everyone's noticing her, all the men are flirting with her. She's lapping it up, in her cool, slightly aloof way (which only makes her more alluring).

Jimmy, who's been playing up his role of host all evening, approaches Bobby and puts an arm around him. "Bobby, how the hell are ya?" He asks with slightly false cheer.

Bobby looks down and smiles a small, inscrutable smile. He shakes his head. Both of them are still watching Alex out of the corners of their eyes.

"Listen, Bobby," Jimmy says, too loudly, right in Bobby's ear, "I really am sorry about last year. Especially since…" He waves a hand, clutching a glass of something, dismissively in her direction.

Bobby looks down again, then up. "It's OK, Cap," he almost whispers. "In fact… I actually really appreciated what you said."

Jimmy's face registers surprise, then he smiles. "Well I'm glad to hear it, my boy. You left in high gudgeon that night; I was worried for you. What changed?"

Bobby looks over at Alex and his face turns wistful. "I – our conversation just made me think a lot about what kind of man I am, and what – what I wanted from life."

"So you're not too bothered, by…" The older man indicates Alex again, who now looks up and over at the two men, arching a brow.

"No, no, not at all," Bobby says, shaking his head and pursing his lips. He shifts a bit and scratches his chin. "In fact, I'm, really happy for her. I mean, how could I not be? She's still my best friend."

"Excellent! That's how it was always meant to be, Bobby. And I promise, you'll find someone more suitable. Or maybe you have already?" Bobby's old captain nudges him a bit, and the two share a smile.

"No, there's… no-one else."

"Well Brenda's still free. Do you want to…" Bobby tilts his head and looks like he's mulling something over, but before he can say anything, Deakins continues. "How 'bout I go find her." And with that, he's gone.

Alone, half-sitting on the back of a sofa, Bobby stares at Alex unabashedly. Despite the sparkling diamonds on her hand, one eager gentleman is deep in conversation with her, and another is standing behind her, touching her repeatedly to try to capture her attention.

Bobby can't stand it… he's had enough.

**o.o.o.o.o**

Bobby mulls the relative merits of going over there and shutting it down, but when Alex glances over at him, he instead crooks a finger at her with a stern look. At first she tries to ignore him, returning to her _chevaliers gallants_, but incredulity makes her look back at him, and he does it again. She gapes at him, as surprised as the time when he'd asked her point-blank if she'd slept with Mulrooney, but reluctantly obeys.

When she's near enough, he holds out his hand to her; she accepts it and allows him to pull her to him. He takes her gently in his arms and leans down, but she turns her face away. "Bobby, no. What are you doing?" The hands she places flat on his chest seem to be pushing him away, but a closer look shows her fisting the smooth fabric.

Sensing her ambivalence, instead of pressing, he brushes his cheek against hers and whispers in her ear. "Please, sweetheart, just once? I need this."

She blanches at the endearment, then turns to him with a sigh and tilts her chin up, even parting her lips a little for him. With that invitation, he bends his head again and touches his mouth to hers, crowing in silent triumph at the sighing breath she exhales against his lips, and the hesitant touch of her tongue to his. He tightens his hold on her and deepens the kiss, nudging her arms up, where – without further encouragement – she wraps them around his neck.

After a long, perfect moment he reluctantly releases her, and she quickly steps away and makes a show of straightening her perfectly coiffed hair.

A gape-mouthed Jimmy Deakins chooses that moment to step into the tableau with a sleek brunette. "Bobby, Alex. Bobby, you remember Brenda?"

Bobby holds up a finger to his old Captain and focuses his attention on the woman he just kissed. "What would your fiancé have to say about that?" he asks, a little aggressively.

She sticks her chin out and looks up at him with a scowl. "I hope he'd say 'Goodnight, Jimmy, thanks for the party. See you next year.'"

He holds out his hand to her again and turns to their host with a huge smile. "Goodnight, Jimmy, thanks for the party. See you next year. Sorry, Brenda," he adds as he tugs on Alex's hand.

**o.o.o.o.o**

"What was that all about?" she asks him as he's helping her down the steep, icy driveway to their car. She sounds grumpy, but he can tell that she's at least a little bit pleased.

"Just my way of delivering a teaching moment to someone who thinks he knows it all," Bobby mutters, with a hint of rancour.

She _hmmms_ as she hands him the keys to his car; she's had a lot more to drink than him. "Well, you know I hate PDAs, so if you decide to take up teaching full-time, include me out."

"What about private displays of affection," he asks slyly as he opens the door for her, "You want to be _included_ in those?"

"Sure, I don't mind. Only to keep you company, baby," she says with a wink.

~.~.~.~.~

**A/N 2:** Why on earth would I post a coda to a fic that you haven't read yet? It seemed like a great way to whet your appetites for the actual fic. If it just seems like being force-fed after-dinner mints as an appetiser, I apologise! But seriously, I think that _Finding Wonderful_ might conclude with a bit more angst than usual (despite the happy ending), so I wanted to reassure you that they make it.

WORDS: 1195 UPLOADED Tuesday, December 21, 2010


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